DULUTH — Minnesota Duluth has survived to fight another week.
The Bulldogs will make the NCAA women’s hockey tournament for a sixth-consecutive season following Penn State’s 3-2 victory over Mercyhurst in the Atlantic Hockey America championship game Saturday at Pegula Ice Arena in University Park, Pennsylvania.
UMD will get the final at-large bid to the NCAA tournament at No. 10 in the NCAA Percentage Index, the system used to select at-large teams and seed the NCAA hockey tournament. The NCAA tournament selection show is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Sunday on ESPNU.
The Nittany Lions’ victory over the Lakers on Saturday afternoon was the last of at least five breaks the Bulldogs needed this week. The Lakers, Vermont, Holy Cross, Cornell and Minnesota State all could have knocked the Bulldogs out had they won their conference tournaments.
None did, so UMD plays on despite getting upset by Minnesota State last weekend in three games in a WCHA quarterfinal series at Amsoil Arena.
The Bulldogs will likely be heading to a regional hosted by the WCHA Final Faceoff champion. Wisconsin and Ohio State are playing this afternoon on the University of St. Thomas campus. The winner will get the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament.
Check back for updates, including a final 2026 NCAA women’s hockey tournament bracket projection from the News Tribune.
Co-host of the Bulldog Insider Podcast and college hockey reporter for the Duluth News Tribune covering the Minnesota Duluth men’s and women’s hockey programs.